By IRNA
New York : Barack Obama won the Democratic presidential primaries in Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia by wide margins.
John McCain is also on course for a clean sweep in all three Republican contests, beating Mike Huckabee.
Obama’s wins are set to put him ahead of Hillary Clinton in the race for delegates to select the party’s candidate for the presidential poll.
Mrs Clinton must now focus her efforts on races in Ohio and Texas on 4 March.
Speaking to cheering supporters at an election night rally in Wisconsin, which is next to hold its primary on February 19, Obama welcomed the results.
“The change we seek swept through Chesapeake and over the Potomac.
We won the state of Maryland. We won the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“And though we won in Washington DC, this movement won’t stop until there’s change in Washington DC – and tonight we’re on our way.” Each Democratic candidate is about halfway to winning the 2,025 delegates needed to secure victory at the party’s national convention in August.
Obama has now edged into the lead when both pledged delegates, whose vote is determined by the result of the primary in their state, and super delegates, who can choose whom to back, are counted.